Adventures with Yogi and Boone

 

Lavender Dreams, Gravel Screams, and Tunnel Echoes: A KVR Adventure

So here we are in Canada-land of maple syrup, nice people, and way more beauty than my camera roll can handle. We found ourselves a Harvest Host campsite at the charmingly named Playlist Orchard, a dreamy mix of lavender, apple, and apricot trees that smell so good it's like Mother Nature herself lit a spa candle. The woman who owns the place is just as lovely-she sells all sorts of lavender potions, oils, and herbal wizardry.  I didn't;t buy any, because, well...space is tight when your suitcase is also your kitchen, closet, and living room (read: van life).

After soaking in the orchard vibes, we walked to a cozy pub in town-where apparently all good Canadian trail tips are handed out over pints and poutine.  that's where we heard about The Ride.   A gravel ride along the legendary KVR (Kettle Valley railway Trail). And not just any gravel ride-this one snakes through three old railway tunnels, one of which is loooong enough to make you second-guess your life choices halfway through.

and yes, I am going to try really hard to post the video of me riding through that tunnel.  Why? Because Bobby did a great job taking the video riding in the dark and the tunnel has motion-sensor lights (fancy, right?) that flicker on as you enter.  About halfway through, it gets real: you start hearing a train barreling toward you. Now, I knew it wasn't real. Logically I knew. But also? My legs AND Boone were like, "We're not dying in a tunnel today," and they kicked it into high gear.

It was surreal, little spooky, and totally unforgettable. The whole ride was about 30miles with a hearty 1700 feet of climbing-just enough to make you wonder if your legs are still speaking to you. But the reward? A sweet, breezy downhill all the way back.

Back at the van, we did our usual post-ride shuffle-stretch, snack, attempt to remove gravel from every sock and crevice-then hit the road to Revelstoke.

We stayed the night in Revelstoke, but let me tell you, my friends: we are getting north in Canada, and it's getting close to the summer solstice. So what does that mean? Yep[-daylight until close to 11pm! We are struggling just a little bit with that.  It's gorgeous having such long days, but even with blackout shades, the sun starts peeking around the edges around 4am And that, unfortunately, is when we wake up. Every. Single. Morning>

We toss, we turn, we mutter a few things about circadian rhythms, and by 7 we've usually given up and are sipping coffee. By 8, we're rolling. Tired? Yes. but is does make for long, beautiful, memory-making days.  We'll keep you posted on how we're doing with the ever-present sun as we continue our northern adventure. 

Stay tuned. Stay curious. And seriously-pack extra socks and an eye mask.

All our love,

Bob, Sherry and Boone